Room 14
by MyLittleFangirlWorld
Summary: When Koutarou started working at his father's firm, it was too earn some money and learn some chemistry. He would have never thought to come across human experimentation, to meet the mysterious Akaashi, or to realize the hidden works behind society. Least of all he had the thought that he would fall in love. Bokuaka! (Repeating mentions of injuries, much angst, rated T!)
1. An unknown corridor

**A/N: This was inspired by a text on tumblr that I saw a really long time ago about how someone whished there was a Bokuaka Sci-fi au in which Bokuto was a scientist and Akaashi a guinea pig of a big company. I've been trying like a mad person to find the post but I haven't succeeded. (If you've by any chance seen it, then it would be so lovely if you let me know!) I (and my ship-angst indulged brain) loved the idea and couldn't help writing this so!**

 **I wish you a great read, thanks a ton for giving my story a chance! Love you guys,**

 **/Hugs MJ**

Koutarou jumped up and down, energetic as always as he held tightly his dad's hand. He'd never seen his father's work before, and the 'take your child to work day' at school gave him the perfect opportunity. His mom had said that he could join her as well, but she was a third-grade teacher, so no way that Koutarou spent this special day in the same school as always! Instead, he had seen his dad's awesome lab. It was filled with all kinds of cool instruments and colourful fluids, and although it had been hard not touching anything, it had been great. Furthermore, he'd been presented to frankly pretty boring colleagues. Though one did buy him a big muffin after their lunch at the cafeteria, so they were okay he supposed.

Normally, children weren't allowed in the facility. Only in some special cases, and then they had to be above four and below ten to ensure the safety of information inside the frames of the building. It was more like a fortress than a building though, in the eyes of eight years old Koutarou, as he craned his neck as far as it would go. They'd gone out from the back, heading towards the smaller set of gates that led to the personnel parking lot. His honey colored eyes looked around with the same fascination that they'd held this morning. He would love to run and explore, to pet those huge dogs so unlike his own puppy. Those racks looked swing-friendly as well, and who would ask an eight years old to stand still when there was an awesome military truck a bit away? Still, the apparently biggest condition of Koutarou joining had been that he was to stick close to his father at all times. Apparently many areas were restricted and out of boundaries for civilians.

That was when he took notice of commotion right next to the truck. One man and one woman walked up to its back, the woman wearing fancy, yet boring, clothes, a flat bag in her one hand as the other gestured to the man. He was older, looked a little ragged with his thin hair and failing posture. He was wearing a long white jacket, just like Koutarou's dad, and looked strangely satisfied as the truck door slipped open. First, another woman stepped out. She didn't look like any person Koutarou had seen before, and if he wasn't so fascinated by nature he'd probably have been scared. She was muscular, a frown across her forehead visible even across the difference. She wore the same pattern on her clothes as the green van, and when she spoke her voice sounded gruff. He couldn't hear what she said though, but as she spoke, someone else emanated from the back. A boy slowly climbed out, not too far from Koutarou's age.

 _He looks like princess Jasmine,_ was Koutarou's first thought, seeing the for him uncommonly dark skin and black hair. At the thought of the connection to his favourite book, he felt a familiar tug from a coming grin. Although it didn't come. Because something else crossed his mind.

"…He looks really sad, dad," he stated truthfully, not turning golden eyes away from the other boy. Then he suddenly got a new thought and started jumping up and down again. "Maybe he'll get happier if we play together? Mom says I get all emotional when I haven't eaten so maybe he's all hungry and then you can't play right?! So first I just have to give him my apple and then fetch my volleyball and we can-!"

"No," his dad intervened uncharacteristically strictly, but his voice sounded weird in some other way too. Almost like it did when he told his mother that another had fallen (though Koutarou could never figure out who or from where they fell, feeling bad for them still as he supposed they must have scraped their knees pretty badly or something given how sad his dad's voice would sound). "No, you can't go talk to him."

"Why not?" He whined high-pitched, but before he could talk further his dad started gently but quickly tugging him away.

"Because he has things to attend to darling, so he can't play right now" was the answer, and okay, his dads voice was definitely weird somehow. Still, he let himself be tugged away as he kept staring after the dark haired boy. As he did, seemingly black eyes suddenly looked up to meet his, and he could feel how they bore into him even across the distance. Koutarou held his breath until they were in their car, uncharacteristically quiet as he sat down on his seat. Without him fully realising it (and not nearly comprehending why) silent tears fell down his cheeks.

His usually talkative and joking dad was quiet as well, hands weirdly pale as he gripped the wheel. Koutarou wasn't sure if he really heard that muttered, "The devils work, this young…" or if it was his own imagination. Either way, those dark eyes would be imprinted in his mind for the rest of that day.

Years passed, and Koutarou didn't visit the facility again. He'd asked his father if he could play with the strange boy a couple of times (because there were no other kids there, maybe he was lonely!). But his father had after the third time stated that the boy was just visiting on take-child-to-work-day like he was, so he wasn't there anymore. He thought it was sad, but he was a forgetting child of course. He found a best friend, Tetsurou, and made many others with his open personality. His dad never really talked about his work anymore, and Koutarou didn't think much about it. That is, until it was about time for him to start looking for a profession himself.

Frankly, he didn't have much choices in the higher up jobs. Few would accept him because according to the grade's standard, well, he sucked. But he _was_ bright, he knew his stuff. It was only that no one wanted to put an important job on someone who'd failed each of their mathematics or weren't even okay at memorizing English words. It seemed grades were the only thing that the companies could see, even though he easily was top in his class at chemistry (okay, the territory of Kuroo was here skipped, but still).

His dad saw that though, and after pretty much fixing around he managed to get his son a job at the medicine company by the early age of nineteen. He'd been reluctant to do so though, and why so, Koutarou couldn't quite figure out. He'd started and immediately loved his job. He got his own small lab, got told what to do and so he did it. Some things were perhaps a little strange, and often they simply gave him a list of things to do (put together bottles of toxodinechloride and such, strange mix ups that he never really understood what they could possibly be used for. Others were very common in ordinary medicines and injections).

His dad was still a little wary about the whole ordeal, but when he refused to say why, Bokuto eventually let it go. He got a promotion at the age of twenty, and frankly there wasn't much of a difference at all. He got enlisted to do some drugs and such that were harder and received a promotion on his trespass as he was now allowed and supposed to deliver the things he'd done to different areas or use machines from the bigger labs. So finally he was allowed to go freely in the complex. He'd seen what there was too see (basically those laboratories, some offices and a higher up common room) and so he should be satisfied with knowing that. Except that Bokuto was off course a curious person, and there was this one place he hadn't been to yet. The eastern ward. He knew he wasn't allowed to be where he hadn't been ordered to deliver or work, but he couldn't handle not knowing forever what was beyond the boundaries. He wanted to see all the parts of the building because sometimes he found something interesting, like a great coffee machine or practically unused toilets. It was his workplace after all, and he thought that everyone should be entitled to each space as long as you didn't disturb anything.

And so he found himself just outside of there a month after he'd received the card. He straightened down his white lab coat and ran his fingers through his hair once to look more neat and professional before using his passport to open the bulletproof door that would lead him in. There was a code to it, one he'd simply figured out by just watching from the corner of his eye as someone else put it in. He'd had a good reason to be there too as he was replacing one of the elements right outside (yup, they'd pretty much declared him a janitor as well) so there wasn't a big deal to that.

He suppressed a whistle as he passed through, finding a mix of doors. All of the walls were plain and dark gray, with much dustier floors than the tiles were at Bokuto's section. Over there, there were a few paintings and post boards and such coating the walls, but here they were naked except for a sole fire extinguisher. It wasn't much at all apparently, but he was curious to know what hid behind the doors that were scattered every which were. They were in the same style as the big one that brought him here, irony with a passport reader, except that they had no code to go.

So he walked down the corridor (he was already there anyway, wasn't he?) and decided to listen if he could figure out what were inside them. He couldn't hear a sound as he leaned his ear against one door, with the tag '6', so he simply opened it. What he found inside surprised him greatly.

It was empty.

Well, that is except for a bed and a dusty glass that were in shards over the floor. If Bokuto would have looked closer, he would have noticed the brown spots covering the black floor, but he didn't, as he quickly lost interest in the emptiness.

And so, he closed the door and repeated the action with the room across, labelled '8'. He found just about the same thing, an empty bed in a copied room, except for an open notebook and a pen on the covers. As he took a few steps closer in the small but open area, he could see it written in neat letters written over and over again at the open pages, _'I think I'm still alive. I think I'm still alive.'_

It was repeated for the entirety of the book except for maybe a fifth of it, which was empty. The further it went, the beautiful handwriting turned shaky and sloppy, ending with ' _I think I'm still dead_.'

It gave Bokuto chills, and even though he knew it was probably a stupid joke by someone, he got the feeling that he was encroaching on something he shouldn't touch. So he left the room, opening one more without walking in just to see that it was empty as well.

Bokuto huffed, kind of disappointed, because this was the only part of the facility he'd never been allowed to go to and it was _empty_. Probably just old guestrooms for the workers or something, the place was in the middle of nowhere after all. And so, he decided that he should get out of there before he was found, because even though this must have been an old thing that they'd forgotten all about, he was against his restrictions and had to go back. Just as he thought that, he could hear footsteps down the hall. Feeling his breath pick up, Bokuto started to speed walk to the door opposite him, quickly dragging his badge against the reader. He heard the beep of it unlocking as he looked down the hall, quickly backing into the room, quickly but quietly closing the door. He breathed a sigh of relief as the old thing didn't make a sound, feeling a grin tug at his lips. Though just as he heard their steps passing outside the door, a hoarse voice sounded from just behind him.

"…What are you doing?"

 **A/N: It would mean the WORLD to me if you'd be so kind to drop a review!**

 **They give me so much joy and motivation!**

 **Well, have a great day love!  
/Hugs MJ**


	2. The Course of two Years

**Thanks a ton and a ton again to guest Kay who told me about how a bug had struck the first chapter! That was very kind of you and I truly hope it works now! This chapter is for you dear, I hope you'll enjoy it! /hugs MJ**

Bokuto jumped high up in the air, a small screech of shock and panic escaping him as he turned around to meet the eyes of another person.

"Was I the only one who heard something?" Resonated slightly through the door. Therefor, Bokuto quickly shot forward, clasping his hand tightly over the room resident's mouth to prevent any more sounds from exposing his rulebreaking presence. He listened with batted breath as a female voice responded,

"Probably just one of them talking to themselves again."

There was a hum, and then the footsteps started moving again. Bokuto didn't move from his frozen position though, until he felt a small tug on his hand that was still covering the strangers mouth. Immediately he retracted it, shooting back a few steps.

He saw how the bedridden boy violently started coughing as soon as he did, keeping it up for a few seconds before looking at Bokuto with widened eyes. He didn't look as if he was about to say anything though, so the scientist cut in with one of his ramblings in a high-toned whisper. "I am _so_ sorry, I didn't even know that there was anyone in this room, I swear I didn't mean to disturb you and sorry if my hand smelled weird, you see I'm a chemist and also I ate tuna for lunch, but please don't be mad at me I was just trying to avoid trouble, so if you wouldn't tell anyone I was here that would be great and you can have my snickers or something!" He started digging in his lab coat quickly, remembering that he'd already eaten it. "Okay I don't exactly-" he started again only to cut himself of as the stranger wrinkled his nose slightly, confused eyes peeking up from the slight hiding they'd found in a gray pillow.

Bokuto was slightly caught off guard by this action, simply because the first coherent thought his helpful mind supplied him with was that, okay, this person was _beautiful_. Eyes deep and transfixing, features simply captivating for Bokuto.

The second thought was that, below that, this person didn't seem to be feeling that well. Bokuto didn't think that it was the cheap lightning making his skin so pale, almost transparent even though it seemed to have an undertone of a naturally darker shade. That, and he seemed extremely tired. Maybe he'd been sleeping when Bokuto stormed in? There were long white scars covering the side of his features as well, one ear malformed and burnt. This was something that couldn't be explained by the previous statement, so Bokuto had his suspicions that he'd landed himself in some kind of hospital ward. Maybe he'd been in a lab accident or something? Of course they didn't want people coming around and disturbing the sick or injured, so that explained the high security of the secluded and soundproof ward.

That this stranger could get him fired any second came in a thought far after, so he didn't think twice about how it could be really bad actually handing out his identity when he did. "I'm Bokuto Koutarou!" For some reason he was feeling fidgety and perhaps a little self-conscious as he was looked up and down once by the other. "It's very nice to meet you! And you are...?" He gave a smile, not too wide like his grin usually was because the other looked very insecure. But being loud and open was kind of in his nature, so he didn't put too much of a damper on his speak.

"…Fourteen," The decidedly very pretty boy had answered with a short hesitation and little emotions seeping into his voice. Except for some confusion maybe, as if it was weird that Bokuto even asked, or maybe that it was something that he really should know. Was he a higher up or something perhaps? Bokuto threw that thought away to consider the weird name.

"Like… The number?" The white and black haired male tilted his head as he took the steps back towards the bed so they could talk easier. "Is that a nickname or…?"

He didn't receive a verbal response, only a slightly shaky finger pointing towards the open cell door. There, in thick black letters was a, clearly reading ' **14'**.

"Oh," Bokuto let out, feeling confused. "But I don't want to call you that," he answered, shaking his head. Why he hadn't run away from there yet was a thought that briefly crossed his mind, but he paid it no heed. Maybe he should evaluate his decisions if he wanted to keep his job, was a thought for later.

"But you're one of the scientists, shouldn't you-?" the boy started, voice uncertain, before Bokuto cut him off. He would damn well not objectify someone so much to name them from a room number. How long had he been in this ward anyway if he automatically responded according to protocol?

"I want to know your name. Every person always deserves the humanity to be called by their name, no matter if it's easier to learn, document or whatever, or not," Bokuto stated firmly as he looked into the others eyes. They were wider than before, a bit of astonishment being displayed in the dark orbs as he answered carefully, as if afraid he'd get punished for saying forbidden words. That managed to make Bokuto concerned, and confusion spread in his belly again.

"…Akaashi Keiji."

"That's beautiful," Bokuto answered with another warm smile, extending his hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Akaashi."

The boy, Akaashi, looked at his hand for a few seconds, hesitatingly extending his own. It was thin and scarred in Bokuto's work calloused hands, but still the fleeting thought entered Bokuto's mind that, it fit pretty perfectly anyway.

oOo

He came back two days later, somehow unable to stop thinking about the mysterious room resident. They'd only spoken for maybe ten minutes more (okay, the raven probably said at most eight words, but Bokuto spoke). And the days passed without any other worker saying a thing about it, so he took for granted that Akaashi had kept his end of the bargain. For those two days, no hour passed without the scientist thinking about him. Why he couldn't seem to stop the ponderings, he didn't really know. Something had simply drawn him in, be it his strong natural instinct to befriend those who looked down and lonely or a weird feeling of familiarity from a previous meeting. So he came back after the two days with the excuse that he had to give him the promised _Snickers_. As he'd handed it over to Akaashi, who'd looked at it confusedly and maybe a little suspiciously, Bokuto had laughed and said "See it as payment for not telling anyone I was here."

They had a nice time, so he came back the day after that too. And after the day after that. They would just talk, (fine, once again, Bokuto babbled, but Akaashi slowly came with more and more inputs) and he quickly found that he loved it. It was fun and almost enchanting. So, he went back and it all went on that way. Days turned into weeks, and soon months. Bokuto would visit Akaashi every day he could, finding a time when most of the staff was at lunch, memorizing a route. It easily turned to the highlight of his day, talking to Akaashi and telling him story after story, ones the other somehow never seemed to tire of hearing. It was really nice, to get away from his lonely lab and have someone so great to talk to. It seemed Akaashi had quickly grown fond and accustomed to him as well, the weariness from the beginning completely gone after a few weeks. He would always smile so amazingly and warmly if he was awake when Bokuto came, and honestly, that was the best part of his personal and daily highlight.

Some things, just weren't on roses though. Bokuto had known something wasn't right all along. It was obvious that Akaashi wasn't feeling well, and as the time grew, he knew it was too serious to ignore. Because as much as he treasured seeing Akaashi, it pained him equally each moment.

Some days, Akaashi was better. He would listen attentively to all of the stories Bokuto had to tell, and sometimes answer with witty comebacks or sarcastic remarks that always managed to make Bokuto grin like crazy. He had patience with Bokuto in a way no one else seemed to have, never asking him to quiet down or telling him that he was crazy with all his antics. He loved making Akaashi smile that, oh so beautiful, smile, relishing in the four times he'd made him laugh as if it was his own personal addiction. The younger would eventually tell him stories from time to time too, telling small things like what his favourite colour was or about daily occurrences, like how this one man had accidentally made another drop his toupee without the victim even noticing it. Bokuto had of course taken the wig up from the corner of the room and put it on his head, talking in silly voices. Akaashi had laughed.

Yes, he truly loved those days.

But others…

Those days scared Bokuto. He didn't know why they existed, only that they were very bad. Akaashi wouldn't talk, only lie in bed, not asleep but neither awake, nor aware enough to even comprehend the words Bokuto spoke. Eyes half lidded and breath weak and irregular, paler than a healthy person could be. During those times, Bokuto would always sit on the edge of the mattress, gently carding his fingers through his soft, dark curls as he murmured gentle words in an effort to ease away some of the pain. Those days always made his heart clench painfully, knowing there was nothing he could do but also knowing there was nowhere else he'd chose to be.

He'd been very freaked out when he walked in on that scene the first time. He'd picked up his phone to call an ambulance when Akaashi had murmured that it was fine, that it was usuall. That made Bokuto really frightened. But what scared him the most? During the months they'd know each other, he could see those days were getting more frequent. Longer. Worse.

One month in, and Akaashi wasn't able to breath on his own as he slept anymore, and sometimes he couldn't do the seemingly simple task for full weeks. Four months and he wasn't ever able to walk anymore either, not even two steps before his malnourished body would collapse in Bokuto's protective grip.

He would listen to Bokuto for as long as he could before his eyes would close on their own accord, exhaustion taking its toll on him. Bokuto repeatedly asked if he shouldn't just be silent so Akaashi could get some well needed sleep, but the proposal was denied each time.

"Please… I like it when you talk…" he had murmured, a cold September evening in the middle of their seventh month of knowing each other, head resting on Bokuto's lap as the older caressed his cheek softly. He couldn't possibly have the heart to say no to that.

And even if Bokuto couldn't dare believe it at first, there were times that were even worse. Times when he'd feared he'd never see Akaashi smile again.

Like the first time he'd seen the other throwing up blood. "It's nothing really…it just happens from time to time," Akaashi had answered as if it wasn't much more unusual than getting a cold. That statement had managed to do nothing more than fuel Bokuto's growing fear.

Or why not the day that Bokuto had just known that something was wrong, walking quickly just to end up rushing to the east ward. Well in its aisles, he could hear muffled screams echo against the walls, and he went beyond his highest speed to the familiar door, not giving a damn of who saw him.

Akaashi had been shaking violently, convulsing and clutching his chest as he continued screaming out of pure agony. He'd been pale as a sheet, damp hair clinging to his forehead as his damaged lungs fought to keep up. Three doctors had shown up, ushering Bokuto out without giving the time to question if he really should be there. He'd had no choice but to give space as one of the doctors quickly picked Akaashi up and took him away, kicking and screaming and all, into another ward. Soon he learned that it was some kind of medical emergency room, so he wasted no time finding his way in there. It was hard, and yes he risked his job, but he couldn't stand waiting around, not knowing if Akaashi was okay or not. So he sat by his friend's side, not wanting to leave but knowing that he only had a few minutes to spend before the change of shift ended and someone would survey the rooms. Four days were spent like that, and each second he would just be holding Akaashi's hand tightly while praying that the heart monitor would start beating a bit more regularly.

At that time, after nearly a year of daily meetups, he had already realised that he didn't want to be without Akaashi. But the times when he was almost certain that the other wouldn't pull through, he knew that he _couldn't_. He'd grown too attached too fast. What had started as friendly gestures to a lonely person had escalated more quickly than he'd like to admit. He grew dependant on seeing the other, on knowing that he was, on at least some level, okay.

One time, he'd walked into an empty room. Well, okay that had happened many times, usually twice a week or so, so it wasn't exactly a big deal. Except that that time, the next day had passed without Akaashi being back again. Bokuto had been destroyed, worried beyond belief. There were no records of where Akaashi could be, not even when he secretly used his father's higher up badge. He'd been far beyond crushed in his worry, franticly trying to shut out the thoughts that he could be gone. Five days. Five days later and he'd finally walked in to find him curled into a tight ball at the corner of the bed, cover held with white knuckles over his head. The raven had been silent for over an entire week after that, except for a single phrase that was continuously mumbled as Bokuto tried to coax him out. " _Please don't_."

Because by then, Akaashi wasn't just physically damaged. No, his condition would in every way get steadily worse in a pace that was frightening, and as if that wasn't enough he was slowly slipping mentally as well. He'd from time to time ask Bokuto to remind him what his own parents names were again, deliriously ask what was happening and why it hurt so much. Questions it hurt Bokuto to not know the answers too.

It was safe to say that he deeply cared for Akaashi, and specifically his crumbling well-being. They'd become closer and closer, even though the hints of that he loved the other had only barely started to be sorted out in Bokuto's mind by the end of the first half year. He just felt it natural that of course his heart would race when Akaashi smiled, because he was simply put a damn beautiful person. Of course anyone could get all tingly when holding another person's hand as well.

Yes, that he was falling in love was a part of a puzzle Bokuto had yet to solve. But something he'd finally come to understand after that half year was that everything going on was _wrong_. He'd early up looked it up in the files after one of Akaashi's very bad days. It said that Akaashi was sick, with many physical disabilities and an unstable mind. Unknown disease but with treatments having many side effects such as physical and delusions. Bokuto had been blinded by that lie for far too long.

Eighteen times had it happened, in the span of two years, (four in the short span of the last month) that Akaashi had thought he would hurt him as he entered his room. He'd flinch and curl up or beg for no more in frantic mantras until he could finally be familiarly calmed by Bokuto's warm and strong embrace. Each time they'd both break apart a little, Akaashi pleading for forgiveness while Bokuto nodded it off, carefully rocking them both back and forth.

Akaashi sometimes screamed in his sleep after only minutes, kicking and trying to get away as Bokuto held him tightly against his chest so he couldn't further hurt himself. A fear that was beyond trauma of any operations that were to possibly improve a condition.

There would be bruises over his face or new scars across his hands.

He would suddenly disappear mentally, not responding even as Bokuto violently shook his shoulder and shouted his name, lost in a memory that did not in any way seem pleasant.

He would disappear for a day only to come back in a condition far worse. Bokuto had been foolish to take for granted that Akaashi's condition dropped and therefor they took him in, or telling himself that it was just the treatments that had their effects. The day he found marks of strangling across Akaashi's thin neck, he'd finally understood what his heart didn't want to accept. He waited a few days for the other to recover enough to be aware before asking what was really going on, pleading for a straight answer of why he was always so tattered.

Akaashi tried to push himself up in a sitting position with shaking arms, looking at Bokuto with a puzzled expression. "You don't… know?"

Bokuto helped him, propping the pillow up before furrowing his brows. "I need you to tell me." He'd denied it for too long, believed in the lies of the files. But this wasn't a disease, and no matter how hard the reality was to face, he had to know. _Had to do something about it_.

"I just assumed you were aware all this time," Akaashi mumbled, maybe to himself.

And that thought truly hurt Bokuto. He worked there. He'd indirectly hurt Akaashi by creating some of the tools of demise. He'd been supporting it all this time without any knowledge as it was all kept hidden. He just… he almost had to hear it from Akaashi to comprehend it. To know for sure.

"Are they," Bokuto started, breath hacky and words frightened. "Are they torturing you?"

Akaashi had sighed, seemingly shrinking, the up given look suddenly making him seem even smaller. Fragile.

"I'm here of my own will, Bokuto-san. And I'm not leaving."

 **Thanks a really huge lot to the readers of this, I'm sorry that the chapter was so messy (it's too late for me to write something comprehendible but oh well) :D! Anyway, I hope you have a really beautiful night or a shining day, /hugs MJ**


	3. Locked in place

"I'm here of my own will, Bokuto-san. And I'm not leaving."

"But…! _Why_?" was all Bokuto could force out, hands shaking as they tightly clasped on to Akaashi's frail ones.

The raven met his eyes for only a second before they were looking away again, gathering his voice for something that obviously wasn't easy for him. Bokuto had no clue what this was about, but he knew that it was important to their messed up situation. Therefor he felt himself leaning closer as Akaashi tried to gather his voice properly before speaking up. "…I don't remember when, but some years ago my family and I were fugitives. My mom had slowly gotten this strange and unyielding disease... It was right after a brain infected bacteria had hit our district."

Bokuto bit down on his lower lip. He'd heard about this off course, everyone had. Nearly half of the population in the meagre District 18 was wiped out in the course of a few months. So that's were Akaashi came from? He kept quiet though, knowing that if he intervened there was a likely chance there would be no continuation. Akaashi would still not meet his gaze, staring at his fingers that were slowly fiddling with each other over the bedspread. To give some sort of support, he decided to carefully pick up Akaashi's hands to warm them in his own ones, waiting for more information. Because so far, even though he'd learned more about Akaashi, he hadn't gotten an answer. _Why_ would he want to stay here?

"The government… They decided they couldn't take any chances for it, or something else to spread. So we ran away, and lived hidden," the raven continued, now clasping Bokuto's hands back, and Bokuto felt how his hands were trembling even through their tight hold. "But a few months later the military had one of their inspections… They found us, so they-," Akaashi momentarily lost his voice before continuing, Bokuto trying to give a reassuring and supporting smile. It didn't work.

The pause was long, before Akaashi breathed in shakily, finishing his story with a small shake of his head. "The military officer gave me a choice though. Get shot on spot or come with them to this place. And I decided that if I were to die anyway, why not do something to contribute."

"Contribute?" Bokuto repeated after another few seconds of shaken silence. His voice was high pitched and frazzled, even angry. It was almost a burst, from the feeling's he'd held during the times of suspicion, and the fact that he was yelling at a mentally damaged person didn't really register. "For what damn reason would you possibly subject yourself to this madne-!" Now his volume rose involuntarily too, hands abruptly shaking Akaashi's as if to knock sense into them.

But Akaashi simply cut him off, voice even though it was weak, his eyes still downcast. "If there had been a known cure, my parents would still be alive today. My mom wouldn't have had to suffer so much. I know first-hand what it's like to watch someone you love slowly witter away because science hasn't gone far enough. If there is a chance that I can help it move forward, then how can I not?"

Bokuto was shocked into silence once more, but moments later he found himself shaking his head so hard that strands from his hair fell into his eyes. "Because you _can't_ do this to yourself, Akaashi, and this isn't _right_! They're hiding it all from the outside because this is illegal torture in every pure form!"

Bokuto stared at him worriedly and fearfully, but Akaashi didn't meet his eyes, weakly shrugging. "It doesn't really matter, Bokuto-san. It's my choice."

His voice had been final, and there was no changing his mind, Bokuto knew. He knew that Akaashi could be much stubborner than he, and also that he simply couldn't pester him about it either, because he'd learned to know the signs of when the other had no energy left. So no matter how much it pained Bokuto to ignore all of the pain his friend was forced to endure every day, he didn't argue about it that time. He kept coming though, like usual. He tried to get the raven to change his mind during the better days, but Akaashi would always look so… sad, when he did. Soon he wouldn't even respond either. The whole situation made Bokuto impossibly angry. Mostly at this evil company. Maybe it was just a small part of the facility, but he was a worker there. If Akaashi hadn't begged him not too, he would for sure have quit and shut it down the day he found out. He'd built his own trap on that one, really. He'd said that he'd do anything for the other, that he meant so much to him. Akaashi had answered with moist eyes that if he really meant anything, he would ignore what he'd learned about the means the facility used.

Therefor Bokuto was torn, and confused. He was _frustrated_. Because what he could do to help Akaashi, he wasn't allowed too, and when the other was in pain- there was simply nothing that he could do then either. He'd never felt so useless. He hadn't even known for long, (lost in lies for far longer than he would like to think, even though it had been easier). It was killing him to watch, to ignore. It hurt so bad, yet he knew deep down, that maybe it really was Akaashi's choice. It was his life, so in the end Bokuto knew he was a coward.

But he stayed, and during the bad days he always supported Akaashi in any way he could.

Though it got worse. He didn't know why, or how it was even _possible_ to be worse than it already was, but it did.

He forced Akaashi to tell him what they did to him, because he couldn't _stand_ not knowing. At first, the boy had refused. It was one of the very, very bad days, but he wasn't out of it. No, he was in clear pain, letting out the slightest of whimpers in every shaky breath. So Bokuto had done something he wasn't proud at all with. He'd gotten so desperate to know that he threatened to not come back if he wasn't told. The look in Akaashi's eyes made him regret his threat so much more than he thought could be possible. There were not only loads of pain in his eyes, but desperation and panic. Terror.

Bokuto immediately bent down to hug the curled up raven, shouting that he was sorry and that he didn't mean it. Akaashi didn't seem to fully understand that though as he moments later started mumbling out what the 'doctors' had done, voice pained but emotionless.

Electric shocks. Unknown injections. Actual fire, knifes and scalpels, even artificial organs. Inhuman things and so far beyond that. Side-effects that gave starvation, fluid filled lungs and coldness. Pain.

After each word, Bokuto felt beyond nauseous, almost wishing he'd never asked. Even so, he had the strong feeling that he was only being told half of it.

But one thing stood clear. These monsters were inflicting far too much agony. They were torturing, some off the things made with purposes that couldn't hold any beneficial significance for anyone. There was no excusing any off it, no matter how heroically they tried to mask it: they were slowly but surely murdering.

And Bokuto would be damned if he didn't manage to do something about that. Over and over, he begged Akaashi to trust him to get them both away from there.

But all he ever received was a pained silence.

oOo

Once again, the monsters had gone too far. _Way_ _too far._

He'd walked in upon scenes that shattered his soul many times in that grey walled room. But that day would be engraved into his memories forever.

It was just over four weeks after he'd confronted Akaashi about his hypothesises. Once again, the other had been lost from the room for days. That time though, Bokuto couldn't' managed to find him no matter how hard he tried. But he didn't feel relieved in the slightest when they finally met again. The first thing that he noticed was the smell of sickness, the lingering sting of blood and sweat and pain, usually mostly covered up by all the antiseptics. Frantic eyes moved to find a familiar figure, taking in within a moment's notice that something was most definitively very _wrong_.

As a chemist he was familiar with Marie Antoinette's syndrome. He knew what it was, what could cause it. Yet his brain couldn't even remotely begin to wrap around the fact that it was what he saw. Instead he denied how jet black curls were suddenly white as snow, ignored the dark nails that were franticly clenching at the mattress in weak but overloaded distress. As he ran forth and collapsed at the bedside, there were prolonged seconds before he realised the second thing that was clearly in the wrong that day.

Akaashi was even paler than he always seemed to be, sweating and breathing heavily from pain as Bokuto had frantically asked what was wrong, but the other wasn't conscious enough to answer him, maybe even notice him. Eyes barely open, yet unseeing. But Bokuto understood soon enough, prayed once more that his eyes were simply deceiving him.

Akaashi had once told him about a boy that used to live in the next room, the one friend he'd had at this facility. This boy had his entire arm and leg removed and replaced by metal limbs that were connected to his nerves. They'd partly fried them all, given the boy repeating heart stops and electric shocks throughout the entirety of the days. The artificial limbs had never worked though. Not even after two years of operations, had they accomplished nothing more than causing harm. It scared Bokuto how this boy was spoken of in past tense.

As if having a mostly shopped of arm wasn't bad enough, Akaashi was scared that he would get that addition to his torture as well. He didn't want to show that off course, but to Bokuto it was painfully obvious. So he would _never_ let that happen.

And so he asked, begged again, waited a week until Akaashi was once more, even though he was in pain, coherent.

"I can't," Akaashi had responded, again, and he sounded so drained, resigned, that it teared at Bokuto's heart. "I've got no place out there, and I can't just…-"

"But be selfish!" Bokuto cut in, eyes suddenly alight with fear at their disappearing time, anger at the torturers and hope for the future all at once. "Get away from here, we can run away together! We can get a new life, make our own place and you won't have to endure all of this pain all the time!"

"It wouldn't be possible, I simply can't," Akaashi murmured, looking down. His eyes had been glassy and red rimmed for a great time now, but maybe Bokuto didn't imagine their dampness.

He clenched his fists with nails digging into skin, before bringing them to his forehead in desperation. "But they're _murdering_ you!" Where his own eyes moist too?

"…But I'm already dying." That made Bokuto's jaw snap shut, eyes wide and breath caught. "I'm sorry, Bokuto-san, but there's no changing that."

Bokuto was silent for a long time, reverting to breathing heavily through his nose before he finally answered. "Okay, don't be selfish then. Help someone, help _me_. I want to be with you so bad, Keiji. I can't… I can't keep losing you."

That seemed to reach Akaashi deeply, and as he looked back in Bokuto's golden eyes all he could find was honesty and sincerity. And sadness. That he'd caused. There was a long silence until the younger found it in himself to answer, voice choked and just so _lost_.

"…I don't understand."

"What?" Bokuto answered immediately, letting go of Akaashi's hand to hold him tightly against his chest, hoping to share some comfort and warmth just as much as he needed the other to be close. To know that he was still there. He tried to avoid touching Akaashi's bandaged stump at all costs, but there was just too much to avoid. Too deep cuts, too much injuries, too much pain…

"Anything," Akaashi answered, shoulders starting to shake slightly in Bokuto's hold. "…Why haven't you left me already…?"

 _Because I love you_. Bokuto left the automatic respond unspoken, shaking his head. "Of course I won't leave you. Never."

 **A/N: Next chapter up tomorow, Akaashi's POV! I hope you'll have a really nice day/lovely night :D If you'd be so extremely kind to drop a review, that would mean so extremely much to me! Love you guys,**

 **/Hugs MJ**


	4. It will all be over soon

" _Off course I won't leave you. Never_."

oOo

Akaashi closed his eyes, remembering the time his mother had said just that. One week later and he was all alone in a, what he hates to call familiar, surgery room, surrounded by white coats. Faceless men and women that injected him with unknown fluids, took his blood and barely tsk'd disappointedly as the results made him scream in agony. He'd never been so surrounded by people before, by the 'medics' seemingly always hovering above him, or the screams that used to endlessly echo from the 'psyche patients' next door, reminding him that he wasn't really alone. Yet he'd never before felt so lonely. The only real human contact he'd had during the too him unknown period of years had been when he shared few liner conversations through his left wall That short period of time when he'd actually had someone there. It had been so much easier to carry his burdens when he wasn't alone, when there was a supporting presence that he could support back. Too early, his friend suddenly never came back. And he was alone again.

When Bokuto came, he was afraid to get attached. Afraid to be abandoned, but suddenly afraid to leave. He was too weak, too selfish to resist. Those fifteen minutes nearly every day always gave him so much warmth, because suddenly there was a reason to meet the next sunrise. He'd gotten too attached too quickly, because a subject wasn't supposed to be fond of one of the scientists creating the tools of his demise. And yet, he truly was. If someone would have asked Akaashi if it was possible to get attached so fast, so hard, he probably would have thought it unreachable. Least of all for him, because before Bokuto came, he barely had any feelings left. He bared through the days, fighting for his life to last just to have it jeopardized again next week. And Bokuto had done something scary. He'd given Akaashi's life meaning again.

Something else that really scared him, was that he knew Bokuto was attached to him as well, even if he could never begin to phantom why. He was expiring, a bomb ready to explode. He knew he could be gone any day. He was no longer a stranger to heart stop (artificial lungs kind of did that to you), and he knew that one day, Bokuto would return to an empty room that would never again be occupied. He didn't want to do that to the kindest person he'd ever known, but he couldn't ask him to stop coming either. Even if he knew that it was for the best, he was too selfish. He never asked the other to come, yet he never turned him down. Even though he should. He should have spared Bokuto from this madness on the first day, before they both got too attached.

But he knew that it was too late for that. What he also knew was that, even before Bokuto came around and changed, what he'd never after his family passed called his _life_ , it was already too late for him. There would be nothing else in the world he'd rather do than get out of there and spend his days with Bokuto. But he knew that he couldn't last outside. Probably not through a single day. The sufficed medicines that came around thrice a day were too important. The special fluids they'd inject in his lungs, the strange battery they'd use to help his heartbeat. He was stuck there because of more reasons than a locked cell door and a nightly security guard. Even if he could survive that, there was too much standing in his way. He hadn't been out there since he was seven years old. He had no place in that world, no knowledge. He'd gotten too used to the ways off the facility to function properly again.

And maybe… Maybe it was because, if he would against all the worlds odds survive out there, he couldn't do that to Bokuto. He'd been the kindest, most wonderful person to Akaashi. He had no right to take more off the other's life than he already had. Couldn't anchor him down. Bokuto wanted to see the world, climb mountains and swim through oceans. With Akaashi around, he would count unknown days in a hospital room. Would never live abroad or get children. No, Akaashi couldn't do that to him. Yet he couldn't manage to tell Bokuto to leave either.

Moreover another issue in the path of a future Bokuto thought could be real… There was the issue of the bomb.

They'd installed it in all of the subjects. A young woman had once managed to get out of the cell, and immediately this triggered a silent alarm. She didn't make it out of the ground before the destruction went off. They couldn't have the information off what they did get out after all.

So Akaashi truly was a living bomb.

When he'd finally managed to tell this to Bokuto, the older male had cried. He'd soon punched the wall, looking regretful as Akaashi had unconsciously covered behind his arms at the trigger, before he cried some more. Akaashi hated himself for how he was clearly wrecking Bokuto's life. There was no denying it, Bokuto had no future with him. He was nothing worth holding on to. He'd locked the scientist to the place, hurt his feelings for nearly every time he came around, without having any intention to. And now Bokuto said that he couldn't stand it if Akaashi wasn't in his future.

And it was all Akaashi's fault that Bokuto even thought that he had the chance at one.

But soon it wouldn't really matter anyway… Time was up for him, he knew as he steadily felt his condition getting worse and worse until it was completely unbearable. The days were blurry, his vision black. Nothing in particular hurt anymore because _everything_ was just _painful_.

The amputation had been the last streak for him. The most he could take. It wasn't long until the limb got infected, until he was hit by yet another disease. One that his body was all too weak to fight through.

 _"_ _It's okay. It will all be over soon."_

Mind broken apart by pain, world unfocused and words hard to understand. But she'd said it slowly, a bloodstained hand gently brushing away his bangs. But he didn't want her. He wanted Bokuto, couldn't understand why he wasn't there. He felt abandoned, broken, used.

Seconds later she lodged the knife deeply in the remains of his arm. She'd said it as some kind of comfort, and at many points in his life, Akaashi certainly would have seen it that way. All of those moments were before Bokuto though. Now, he had something to live for. So he was terrified. No one who had a reason to stay could be taking the risk of disappearing whenever.

For the first time in years, the thought of death didn't give him any kind of comfort any more, even if the pain was, if possible, far beyond what he'd earlier endured. Every second seemed to be a continuous torture, yet he clung on to see Bokuto again. He weakly fought on through each restless minute. Ignoring the knowledge of how they'd scheduled his death in three days' time.

Taking the next pained breath, even though the next sunrise came and Bokuto never showed up. Nor did he appear the day after that.

He knew that it was for the best. But he felt weak. Broken, used. Abandoned.

 _He must have heard of the detonation_ , Akaashi thought blearily as the third day arrived, eyes finally slipping closed.

oOo

 **Honestly I could really need the confidence of a review right now, so if you do enjoy anything from this story, it would be so extremely kind of you to leave a word or two :).**

 **Have a beautiful day/night!  
/hugs MJ**


	5. Taking Action

**A/N:**

 **Fullcel14: Hii! Thank you so much for your amazingly kind review, the time you took into your words really means a ton for me! I'm so in shock, I want you to know that your encouraging words really means a ton! And yesyes I most certainly like Bokuto comforting Akaashi which may or be not be kinda evident in my stories :´D And yes, Bo is the cutest! Thank you a ton again for sharing your thoughts and inspiring words! Hope you have a great day/nice night!**

 **Cakegirl21: Haha oh no *hands you hankerchief*! Thank you a ton for that, your review really means a lot to me! Hope you have a great day or a nice night and thanks for reading!**

 **Kay: Oh my Gods, wow. Your words are simply so incredibly kind and thoughtful and oh Gods nope you make me too happy. I'm so glad you're enjoying this story and I really hope you'll like this chapter as well. I hope you are well and have a great day/night! :D**

 **oOo**

Bokuto pounded his fist against the wall, hard enough to make the familiar pictures clank a few metres away. It didn't even cross his mind to care about that though, he knew as he hit the wall again. Angry tears furiously streamed down his cheeks because it simply wasn't fair. As a big hand landed on his shoulder Bokuto resisted the urge to shrug it off. Instead he slowly lifted his eyes to meet the matching ones of his dad.

To say that he'd had an awful week couldn't possibly begin to describe how he'd had it. Because even though it utterly killed him to see someone he cared so deeply about in such a terrible condition, it pained him even more to simply not know how Akaashi was doing. Because Bokuto hadn't seen him in five days now.

The first three days, he'd been frantically searching the entireties off the data bases, grabbing whatever information he could manage to get his hands on to find where Akaashi could be. Because this wasn't like any other time Akaashi had dispeared. At those times, they'd only taken him when he was remotely well, and most often at a certain schedule. But this time, Bokuto had the worst of gut feelings, because he'd never seen Akaashi feel as bad as he had the past few days. What they were planning to do with him on this awful timing, Bokuto hadn't dared to think about. So he'd looked in the usual room every day and gone through every hospital room he could get his hands on. Only he knew he lacked a ton off the information about the buildings layout and rooms. It was gigantic, and he only had a sparse access. But he also knew that there was no way he was leaving them to touch Akaashi when he was already on the verge of breaking apart completely.

The fourth day, still empty handed on info, had been the very last straw for him. He knew that Akaashi wouldn't forgive him for what he was about to do, but still he was certain that he should have tried to find the courage to do it from the beginning.

So he told his father about the whole thing. The man had been shocked, despaired and confused, but not once did he doubt that his son spoke the truth. He saw immediately how much this other boy meant to him, so the father did everything in his power to find out what was going on behind locked doors.

On the fifth day, he managed to do just that. And it was awful. His father had said it slowly, but the words had hit Bokuto harder than any shot could have ever done.

Akaashi's death was scheduled to happen in a matter of hours.

So for once there wasn't an eternal conflict in Bokuto, no hesitation or doubt. The concern that no one would believe him and the fear that his actions could trigger the awful bomb had to go out of the window.

With vigour in his eyes and his fists tightly clenched he spoke, "We have to get him out of there, _now_."

oOo

It felt like an eternity had passed, but just a few hours later found Bokuto facing the one person he wouldn't trust himself not to murder.

His father had found that there was another part of the facility that was connected to where he'd first found Akaashi, with multiple rooms claimed to be storage areas for toxic waste that there were vague data for. They'd found a control room and decided that it must be from there that someone had a connection to the bombs as well as control of looking it all down in case of breaking and entry.

Therefore, their plan was simple. His father would get in there and see to it that there were no personnel, and if there was, make sure they didn't do anything (it was a good thing the man had a really high authority, even though he worked in a completely different apartment. A rookie that was just controlling wouldn't dare to talk back to much. _Hopefully_.)

Bokuto would run through the other rooms until he managed to find who he was looking for, basically getting him and getting the hell out of there with all the speed he was worth. Only problem at the moment was that he off course had the misfortune of running into someone. And not anyone either.

Before him stood Goro Hansen, maybe the person with the most authority in the entire system of the facility. And that he was in the forbidden corridor, most certainly meant that he was in on this. That Akaashi's suffering was his fault.

"You-!"Bokuto started to snarl, wanting to swear but loosing words as nothing could describe his anger.

The man looked shocked to see another person, not recognising Bokuto in person off course but it was obvious in his facial expression that he knew the other man didn't belong there.

"Nanako," he immediately said into a small speaker on his lab coat, eyes never letting go off Bokuto.

"I doubt that she can answer you," the silverhaired man snarled, not recognising his own voice but failing to give a damn about it. "We've got that covered."

Hansen stared at him, and Bokuto knew that he was slowly putting the pieces together. But still he asked, "And may I ask who you are? And 'we' would be?"

Bokuto knew better than to hand out his name as he shared it with his dad, so he ignored the question. "Where is Akaashi Keiji," he said, voice threatening beyond reason.

Hansen didn't even need a moment to recognise the name, instead he just tilted his head ever so slightly. "I am sorry mister. We had to move that patient a bit. You see, he was progressing downhill again. May I ask how you've met a person in quarantine?"

"Shut up, I know what you've done, I know how you've tortured him!" Bokuto screamed out in response, taking a step closer. Could he control himself? He honestly wasn't sure. The built up anger and frustration that came along with watching someone he loved in pain, the feeling of being so unbelievably useless… Those feelings came crashing on him now.

"He's sick," Hansen concluded without batting an eye, and already then did Bokuto feel the hatred spread deeper in his stomach. "Very sick. We have to treat him or he wouldn't be alive today. Mentally as well, he's probably told you crazy stories about things he doesn't understand. You have completely misinterpreted the situation here, dear worker. Now who are you?"

 _Lies_. Filthy lies that Bokuto hated to say that he used to believe. Therefor he took his stance, taking a looming step forward with a pointed finger and low brow. His eyes were furious, far beyond that even, and his voice sounded ready to rip the other apart. "You've _tortured_ him. You're crushing him and hiding under the cover of medical purposes. You are _monsters_.

There was silence for a while, Hanson keeping his poker face well. Just a tiny bit slipped up in a small twitch of his eyebrow. But finally, the man let out the slightest of sighs, looking from Bokuto's clenched fist, to his face.

"Okay, you've got the truth. We lied. There was never a disease, but we had our purposes for the greater good." Bokuto would have jumped at him with a knife. _Nothing_ they'd done was ' _good'_. His anger didn't have the time to escape though before the man continued. "You know how the world looks, don't you? Well, the two off us are living in one of the finer districts off course. But the environment is going to take its vengeance on all of us, and that is soon. The liveable areas are each overpopulated by far, and the conditions of destructions are going to reach the people. You've heard about district 18, correct?" Number 14's district if I remember that right. We got a couple off people from there a while ago."

Bokuto tried to breath properly, but it didn't work, not even remotely. Each word this man said, it didn't matter if it was the truth or now. Because he dared to objectify Akaashi again, refused to acknowledge the faults he'd done. As the coated man opened his mouth to continue, the thought hit Bokuto that maybe this the speech Akaashi had received, as a frightened boy who'd just witnessed someone murder his parents.

Hansen raised his voice in authority. "We could have prevented such a thing if we'd just gotten the means for it, if it wasn't so hard and… 'illegal' to get a hold of people today. In 7, there's a toxic gas slowly growing to cover the streets. District 9 is soon going to have a much too high pressure, in only a century. 3 can be flooded any day, all it takes is a tsunami and an hour and they could all be dead. What we do isn't compassionate, it's research for **survival**. There are those who'd pay us all they have to make sure their kids' lungs are equipped to deal with the near future. Those who'd give us millions if we made something that can make the human breed last longer underneath the surface. Many are working with this actually, but the laws are holding them down. What we know, but those fools don't, is that we don't have the time to wait on positive feedback from computer drives until trying it on silly animals! The world is broken, Bokuto. We're simply doing what we can to in years save thousands by sacrificing a few today. Don't you understand?"

Bokuto felt continuously disgusted by each word this man said. As if anything could justify the torture of an innocent! Anger burned in each of his veins. Bokuto was educated. He knew how the world looked, and yes there were problems. But there were no excuses for what they'd done to his Akaashi, and he was damn well getting him out of there. "You're in it for nothing but the money, you're just monsters that hide behind lies! I will damn well get him out of here and shut this monstrosity out if that's the last thing I'll do!" Here, he didn't bother stopping himself from taking the last two steps forward, grabbing Hansen's coat collar and pushing him against the wall. He barred his teeth, feeling harsh frustration at the blank face meeting him. As if this wasn't an important discussion.

There was once more a silent moment after his shout, before, "You are right Bokuto," the man said with a slow shake of his head. "We don't have much humanity in this part of the facility. Heaven knows that boy has been showed no mercy throughout his life. But," the cold man stated, looking him straight in the eye. "At least we have the tiny bit of compassion to end his suffering. He _will_ die, Bokuto. Very soon. The question is if you are selfish enough to let him suffer through the last of it."

Bokuto stared openly, lips pursed before he grinded out with pain coating his voice. "He's strong. The strongest person I've ever known and if you **_dare_** so much as touch him again, I will **_end_** you." Those who knew Bokuto would never state him as the scary type, but at that moment, he truly was. Muscular and looming, eyes portraying fire unlike any other as he dared anyone to hinder him from protecting the person he loved. "I _will_ save him and then _I_ _will_ _end_ you. So fucking back. Off." With those words he pushed the scientist forward just to slam him the short distance into the wall harshly, making his way past him. It was all he could do not to kill the man on spot. He'd wasted too much time, gotten lost in his anger.

"You're making another mistake here Bokuto," was called after him. "You really think he can survive five minutes in this cold? Without the medicines? Why don't you stop pretending that you're doing what's best for him, and not for _you_."

Bokuto froze in his tracks for just a second before he answered with clenched teeth, hands still fisted tightly. "I'm getting him away from this hellhole once and for all." That was a promise.

And so he quickly strode down the hallway, searching quickly for the right door. As he saw the numbers that matched with the file, he sprang to it. Then he pushed it open with glee playing in his chest, because _this was it_. Akaashi was getting out, he was coming with him and they could start anew together!

"Keiji?" Bokuto called as he entered the hospital room, voice joyful and filled with suppressed relief, walking towards the bed were a familiar figure was. "Keiji, wake up, we're finally leaving!"

But he got no response.

It hadn't even been a week. Only five days since Bokuto had left him all alone.

"Keiji…?" He asked cautiously, kneeling down and taking hold of the others hand to hold it against his cheek. His voice was now shaking badly, fear creeping in it as he received no response at all. "Hey? Come on, come on please answer me, tell me you're alright," Bokuto said desperately as he used his free arm to carefully pull his love to rest against his chest. Only empty silence met him. Bokuto wasn't sure if he breathed or not during that horrifying eternity of a minute, but finally, Akaashi's turquoise eyes slowly fluttered open. They were very glassy and unfocused just like they were on his worst days, but Bokuto had never before been so happy, _relieved_ , to see them.

"…About time," Akaashi breathed, the smallest of smiles playing on his lips. At least a little coherent, but clearly in pain. Undoubtedly… weak.

"Yeah, I'm so sorry! But I'm finally getting you out of here, okay?" He promised, a thankful and nearly hysterical laugh spurting from his lips.

Akaashi didn't answer nor protest, form completely lifeless as Bokuto carefully picked him up together with the thick blanket to hold tightly in his strong arms. The heart support, the air relievers and IV, they were all disconnected. They must have been about to do it. Just what could have happened if they'd waited just a while longer…? But they weren't through yet. He couldn't waste any time now either.

 _'_ _You think he'll survive five minutes in this cold?'_

"I promise," Bokuto muttered under his breath, maybe mostly to himself as he cradled Akaashi close and started walking out the door.

oOo

Much of what happened next was a frantic blur to him. The entirety of the days had been. Anxiously trying to find Akaashi, to get any information about what was going to happen to him.

He'd reached Akaashi in the nick of time, and yet he knew he was in a bigger hurry than ever before. Luckily for them, Kuroo was supposedly waiting near with an ambulance at the ready. The man had been told about some of it in a rush as Bokuto sat in the seat of his father's car on the way to the facility. Now he was counting his lucky stars that he had because seconds were precious. He just had to get off the fucking area! But it was a top secret facility and the restriction went far. It took time that Bokuto didn't have. That Akaashi didn't have. It was far too cold, the skips and jumps from running must be slaughtering Akaashi's weak body. He was probably unconscious, unresponding to Bokuto's frantic mumbling. But he'd be damned if he let either one of them give up when they'd finally gotten out, bomb undetonated.

"I'm getting you away from of here, alright?!" He swore, holding on to Akaashi if possible even tighter. "Just hold on for a little bit more and I promise you!"

What scared him beyond comprehension was that he didn't know if he could keep that promise. He wasn't even sure if there was even anything anyone could do to help. But he couldn't just do nothing, damn it! Akaashi needed medical care, and that was _quick_. Because he wasn't stupid: he understood that the boy currently hanged on to his life. His fragile frame was completely limp in Bokuto's arms, breaths raspy and pained between coughs of dark blood. He barely even breathed at all even, and that scared Bokuto down to his very core. He tried to pick up his pace even more, refusing to listen to the logic that told him it was all impossible. It was too far, he was too late and Akaashi was too weak.

"…The sky…" Akaashi suddenly murmured, making Bokuto's gaze snap to him. His half lidded and glassy eyes were downcast but now if barely open, lips curving ever so slightly in a sad smile. "It's pretty…"

It probably wasn't, seeing as the weather was awful and clouds lingered worryingly above them. Only the fewest rays of light peeked through the biosphere. But Bokuto still nodded frantically, twisting his grip so he could clasp Akaashi's cold hand. "Yeah, it really is! And just wait until you see the moon, or your first sunrise! I promise you'll love it!"

Akaashi didn't respond, but honestly Bokuto didn't expect him to. He was struggling enough with breathing, never mind staying conscious.

So only one thought could cross Bokuto's mind. This was all his fault. He was _too_ _late_ , _too_ _slow_ , **_too_** **_useless_**!

"I'm so sorry, Keiji. I'm so fucking _sorry_ ," he pleaded, knowing that it couldn't be more truthful. Why hadn't he acted earlier? Why hadn't he… Hadn't he done anything before it came to this?

But Akaashi managed to answer, and it was definitively not what Bokuto expected. "Don't be… I'm… I'm _glad_."

"…What…What do you mean?" Bokuto asked, trying to keep some kind of composure, though it wasn't working at all. His entire being shook greatly, eyes darting frantically over Akaashi's pale face. His eyes were nearly closed, downcast and unfocused. There wasn't an answer, so Bokuto shook him carefully.

"Hey, come on, you're staying with me, right?!" He asked, not noticing the fearful river of tears that had been falling for who knows how long.

But there was no answer this time either.

"…Keji?" His voice was if possible even more scared than it had been when he'd first entered the others room, simply minutes ago. His breath was batted, panic settling in deeply in his veins as he stared dreadfully ad Akaashi's eyes finally closing. " _Keiji_." Loud sounds suddenly resonated from the distance in front of them, bright lights bursting through the settling darkness. Maybe he heard Kuroo shout, but Bokuto paid it no attention as he collapsed down to the ground with Akaashi still held tightly in his protective grip. " ** _KEIJI_**! **HEY, STAY AWAKE!"** His voice was greatly muffled by the lump in his throat, strangling him as he shook Akaashi's shoulder more forcefully than he probably should have. But he received no reaction. Suddenly there were all sorts of people surrounding them, but Bokuto couldn't address them.

All he could do was scream his lungs out.

 **A/N: Local Swedish girl writes 100 percent angst and regrets nothing at all :)**

 **I really hope your day/night is great and also hope too see you soon!**

 **/Hugs MJ**


	6. Epilogue

When Akaashi finally managed to register the familiar sounds of a heart monitor, a familiar fear quickly set in, but it wasn't pulsating or overwhelming. Because it simply seemed that he didn't have the energy to be frightened of anything, and that's how it had been for the last few days that he could recall. Another way too familiar thing was the pain. It was radiating throughout his entire arm, spreading across his chest and almost suffocating his thoughts, but the rest of him didn't really hurt. He just felt sort of… numb. When he thought about it, maybe the arm felt a bit better too, at least different. There was no pulsation in it anymore, just a horrible stinging from needles he hoped were from his imagination only. He slowly came to recognise the dizziness and floating form of existence that came from a heap of pain medication, something that he'd gotten deeply cut away from for the latest time.

He couldn't register that he was somewhere else than the room he'd lived so many years in, yet he knew that something was most certainly off. There was a world around him again, maybe some noises or lights that he'd had a hard time registering lately. But it was all pretty much in a haze, not to speak of how Akaashi classified it all as very unimportant. Because there was one clear thing in this existence. A, this time he knew familiar, hunched figure right at his side.

Bokuto was staring at him, lips parted and eyes painfully wide and clearly moist.

Akaashi stared right back, not noticing the tears that were slowly starting to drip down his own cheeks.

Bokuto's heart was swelling beyond his chest as he sat with his back leaned against the wall just outside of Akaashi's room. The doctors had had to usher him out for a bit as they checked up on their patient, which Bokuto took pretty hard. But he was a little okay with it. At least he'd got to see for himself that Akaashi had waked up, that he was getting better.

Akaashi had been pretty panicked when the Doctors came in, given that he most certainly didn't have the best experiences with men and women in lab coats, but Bokuto managed to calm him down a bit, just enough for the sedative to settle in. No one in the room could blame the boy really, because it was just so evident that he'd been through so much. Off course Bokuto knew he had a long way of recovery to go, no matter how little he wished that was the case. An entire life of torture couldn't disappear; it was simply impossible. There wouldn't be a sudden and perfect ending. There were lingering infections, shattered bones, nonworking lungs, poisoned blood and so much more to work through before Akaashi could be better.

And some things would never heal. Akaashi would never be rid of the artificial organs, would never get his left arm back. The deep running scars, both physical and mental ones…

 _It's better though_ , Bokuto decided, letting out a long sigh. He'd do anything for Akaashi to get the happiness that he deserved. He wanted, needed, them both to get their happy ending so that hopefully, someday, Akaashi could manage to look back and think that it was worth living his life. Bokuto _would_ do anything for that to happen, anything at all.

The hospital had contacted the police, and immediately, the entire facility was shut down for surveillance. They got four more people out of there, persons Bokuto hadn't even known existed. Apparently, one of them had been Bokuto's associate Daichi's childhood friend, who had gone missing when he was sixteen.

They'd also found track records of every person who'd ever endured the awful experiments. Thirty-two people. Thirty-two, in the span of sixteen years. And only five had gotten out of there alive. There was a _twelve_ -year-old on the death list. Someone else was really sick, and one a young mother. Just so many people who could have lived if they'd just gotten proper help.

The state made sure that the survivors got the much needed health care and that the workers of the facility were all carefully interviewed. Bokuto would find himself in court a couple of weeks from now, and hopefully the cost wouldn't be to great when he said that he'd known about it for a while.

So maybe things would work out.

Bokuto knew that their life together couldn't be perfect.

No matter what they did, Akaashi would never be 'fine'. There'd be at least two years spent in hospital halls after the escape, with even more consequences after that. Akaashi would never be able to walk again, wouldn't be healthy simply because after all he'd been through, his body was too weak, too damaged to be repaired.

Bokuto was unemployed, the one job on his resume now famously stamped as a torture agency. He lived at a small apartment, in which he'd seen one cockroach too many, but it was close to the hospital at least.

But by far the worst was that Bokuto knew their days were counted. Akaashi needed surveillance all the time, because anytime, anywhere, something could suddenly just cave in. At most, he was said to have eight years left, though the medics doubted the rising over five.

Still, that short time was more than Bokuto could have hoped for. He'd been sure that he'd lost Akaashi once and for all during the night of the escape. He'd cherish every day like gold, because as long as they were together… Well, each and every moment counted.

oOo

They two got married a year later.

Three years down the road and they moved to a small house in the clear country air.

Just under six years down, on a cold autumn night in 2147, Akaashi Keiji passed away.

Bokuto Koutarou lived on to dedicate his life into helping others, into founding a project to eliminate human experiments from the districts.

He finally passed away from old age in 2202. But his name got spread on, the two lover's story got told.

It started riots and gatherings to establish human rights, and in a few years, beating children and torturing prisoners were illegal in every district. Human experiments were considered one of the foulest crimes.

A generation down the road… And torture was never again documented to be conducted on humans, nor animals.

 _The end._

 **A/N: Well, thanks a huge ton to you if you managed to read through this! Yikes I'm not gonna write anything but fluff for a great while, this was much more angsty that I intended it to be. Well thanks again for sticking with me, you guys are just so incredibly awesome and I wish you all the best.**

 **As always,**

 **/Hugs** MJ


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